An external source system must be present in the Stratsys in order to create integration with another source system. To an external system, external codes also need to be created to map units, measures, and measure columns in the Stratsys with units, measures, and measure columns in the source system.
Here you can read more about:
- External systems
- External codes
- Importlogg
External systems
Create or edit source systems
When you create or edit a source system, the following settings can be made:
Import from File
To import data from a file, a specific export file is required to be created according to a predefined format (see detailed info below). External codes also need to be added for current units, measures, and measure columns.
To manually import data into Stratsys, use the below settings:
The transfer of export files to Stratsys can also be scheduled by the source system's export function so that Stratsys always contains updated data. The export files that the source system export feature creates can be sent to Stratsys using FTP or by directly calling Stratsys Web service. For more information about this, please contact your Customer Manager at Stratsys.
Structure on import file
The columns should be delimited and contain the following information:
- Date (controls the period in which the value is saved)
- unit External code
- External code for measures
- External code for Measure column
- Value of Measure
The import function looks for measures in the Scorecards based on the external codes that the export file specifies for each value to be imported. The export file contains one line per value to be loaded (in the form of external codes as described above). If a single measure is found that matches the external codes specified in the export file, the specified measure column is updated with the specified value in the export file.
If multiple measures are found, no measure is updated and a warning is logged instead of the import log. Several measures can be found if different Scorecards contain measures that have exactly the same measure name and are also connected to the same organizational unit.
The period to be updated in the measure column should be set in the export file to the first day of the period for which the value should be loaded. For example, if the measure is a trimester measure, the export file should specify the first day of the trimester to which the key value should be loaded.
External codes
The term "External code" is used by Stratsys to translate a source system's internal codes and concepts into the organizational units, dimensions, and measure columns contained in the Stratsys. Before external codes can be created in Stratsys, a source system must be set up.
External codes for organizational units
Open the Administration page with name Organization To edit the unit for which external code is to be entered. If at least one source system is set up, a button named External code. Click this button to open the following dialog box:
Specifies which external code each source system in the export file with the KPI data and unit should have. If multiple source systems are listed, this is possible for each source system to enter its external code.
TIPS!
For organizational units, external code often corresponds to the term "cost center" in the source system. Thus, the source system's cost location for this unit is to be entered here.
External codes for measures and measures columns
External codes for measures and measures columns should only be entered once per measure name or measure column name. If several measures have the same measure name (for example, for copied and/or consolidated measures), then external code should only be given one of these measures.
Open the measure to set external code for and select the Settings:
If at least one source system is set up, a box named External code. Click the button to open the following dialog box:
Here per source system can be specified which external code in the export file with KPI data should correspond to the current measure name. If multiple source systems are listed, this is possible for each source system to enter its external code.
To enter external code for measure columns, select instead in the Columns To edit the column for which to set external code. Click on the button Change External code for Measure columns In the Column dialog box to open the dialog.
You will also find a summary of the external codes here:
Importlogg
Monitor import of KPI data
Tab Importlogg Used to ensure that the export files is correctly loaded by the import function at expected times. The import log can quickly become long, so there is a possibility to set up search criteria in order to find the log lines you are interested in.
The following conditions can be specified:
- Log lines for all source systems can be viewed, or for only the specified source system.
- The Status of log lines can be of three different types: Information, Warnings Or Up.
- Use From time And to time To delimit in time which log entries are displayed.
TIPS!
To find out whether the KPI data could not be loaded to measures such as external codes are missing-set Status to alerts.
To determine if unexpected errors have occurred, set the Status to error.
Log lines logged with Status set to Information Created partly when an import is started and partly when an import is finished.